As the economy and population of the United States and world continually increases, there is a corresponding increase in energy consumption by people and populations. An increasing amount of problems arise when governments and/or companies try to expand and efficiently manage power consumption to meet load growth using known solutions. Grid congestion is one of the many major problems with managing power consumption.
Therefore, many efforts are ongoing to develop hardware, software, and logistical solutions that allow a divergence from known solutions and a convergence toward integrating distributed generation (DG) technologies into a modern, intelligent grid. One aspect of this effort is modeling. Grid modeling historically revolved around two key aspects, supply side distribution and pricing schemes. As the grid ages and demand increases, the grid approaches full capacity. Known solutions of adding traditional coal and natural gas generators may have an adverse effect on the environment by producing greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, as was demonstrated the northeast blackout that occurred in 2004, a grid cannot necessarily tolerate major disruptions from one area to another. If the grid crashes in one area, there is a finite probability that it will take down other sections of the grid potentially leaving millions of customers without power. In order to improve local reliability and reduce customer risk, more and more DG is being installed. This has increased the need for load side (or demand side) modeling and evaluation.
Currently, electric power transmission is regulated on the Open Access Same-Time Information System (“OASIS”). OASIS originated as a result from the Energy Policy Acts (EPAct) of 1992 and 2005. EPAct 2005 expands the provisions governing reliability of the bulk power system with focus on expanding and modernizing the national electrical grid. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Order 888 opens wholesale power sales to competition through the use of tariffs describing the terms and conditions of service. FERC Order 889 describes the implementation of OASIS as an internet-based system that allows consumers and suppliers a medium for obtaining and supplying electric power transmission throughout North America governed by the transmission service business practices and Standard of Conduct adopted by FERC.
Many times, centralization of the transmission grid status is falling more into the realm of the OASIS nodes. The Transmission Services Information Network (TSIN) has been developed within the framework of OASIS and uses the standards set forth in the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) Interchange Transaction Tagging protocols. Registration of transmission product attribute values, including Points of Delivery and Points of Receipt are monitored in real-time using this system.
OASIS operates by using a number of web-based interfaces named “nodes” that transmit the system's market offerings and availability announcements. Nodes, which are generally regional, within OASIS are collective bulk transmission systems or Independent System Operators. Each node administers and monitors the grid load and pricing. The difference in capacity needed to serve the native load and safe flow buffers are made available for purchase on the OASIS node. Essentially, a buyer may purchase power during a certain time period to transfer to their portion of a grid for use at a price determined by a supplier.
OASIS acts as an open market for trading electric service supply and demand. Many of the nodes, house auction-like transactions where suppliers and buyers are vying for positions or “seats” on grid systems for time-based durations. Typically, these transactions are incremental and increase in priority and expense; hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, etc. on up to “firm” transactions which have the highest priorities and are the last to be curtailed. Priorities are placed on the type of grid transmission determined in the transaction.
OASIS restricts public access to energy traders (ET) that become signatories to a transmission provider's open-access transmission tariff (OATT) and market observers. The ETs are granted access to viewing real-time prices, services, and transmission availability along with requesting services throughout a node, while market observers are restricted to a “read only” version.
The OASIS Communication Standards and Protocols Document is the data dictionary for the system. The document provides the data structures, nomenclatures, and standardized objects that are accessible programmatically to each node. The programmatic “hooks” allow for the seamless passing of data, such as pricing signals, in a real-time environment. Realistically, all of the nodes do not implement all of the real-time functionality that OASIS is capable of producing. Some nodes, such as PJM Interconnection, provide interactive websites that allow for real-time observations of the market within their node. While others, merely have links with contact information and maps of providers with forecasted prices for transactions based on transmission type.
Within OASIS, Local Distribution Companies (LDC) may maintain customer record databases. Typically, there are no industry standards for the LDCs customer record databases. Most LDCs employ proprietary enterprise-wide databases that are specifically designed for their business model and are powerful, flexible, and built on standardized database platforms Common enterprise database platforms are Oracle, Sybase, SQL, SAP, and IBM platforms. Because most of the databases are built on common platforms, data connection capabilities are accommodated in the database.
Consequently, it can be understood that there is a need for an energy efficiency management system and method. Further, there is a need for an energy an energy efficiency management system and method that controls energy consumption for energy consumers that use one or more smart meters. Additionally, exemplary embodiments of the system and method may use the pricing signals from the OASIS system to form a feedback loop between customer load and energy provider generation. Further, a system and method is desired that may provide and orderly way of dispatching both load and generation in order to keep a grid stable and functioning. Also, it is preferred that the system and method gives customers a choice when to have their electric devices connected to the grid based on energy costs. The system and method may enable a customer to obtain maximum overall value from any local energy assets that the customers possess.